Clothesline support



July 4, 1939. T. s. WILBER CLOTHESLINE SUPPORT Filed April 19, 1938 1NVENTOR. T/ /o/vgifi. VV/L BER ATTORNEY.

Patented July 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in clothes line supports and has particular reference to an adjustable support adapted for attachment to a window.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved support of simple and practical construction by means of which clothes may be strung on a line extending outwardly from a window without the necessity of the person hanging the clothes leaning through the window opening to do so.

Another object is to mount the support on the window frame in such position that a movable hanger arm forming a part of said support and to which the clothes line is attached, may be swung to a position completely within a room where a part of an endless clothes line will be conveniently positioned so that garments may be suspended therefrom and then progressively passed out of the window.

The above and other objects will appear more clearly from the fOllOWiIlg detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perpective view of the exterior of a window showing the clothes line support mounted in the position which it assumes after clothes have been suspended on the line.

Figure 2 is a similar View of the interior of the window showing the position of the hanger arm forming a part of the support when the clothes are being hung on the line and fed through the window opening.

Figure 3 is an enlarged front elevation of the support as shown in Fig. 1, and,

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 5 indicates generally, a window frame in which the lower sash 6 is mounted for vertical sliding movement so that it may be closed as in Fig. 1 and opened as in Fig. 2.

The support of the present invention comprises an angular base member 1 adapted to be attached by fasteners 8 (Fig. 4) to an outer vertical edge of the window frame 5 at a convenient height thereon which will permit the hanger arm 9 being swung through the window opening; when the sash 6 is raised, into the interior of the room, as shown in Fig. 2. To support the arm 9 the base member I has extended therefrom in a lateral direction an open frame it) provided with vertically aligned openings H in the horizontal portions of said frame. The hanger arm 9 is preferably made from a single length of rod bent intermediate its ends to provide a pivot portion l2 which extends through the openings II in said frame [0. From the lower end of said portion l2 the rod extends diagonally upward with its free extremity attached to the upper portion of said arm so that the lower portion will constitute a brace 53 for the arm. A handle l4 may be attached to the arm 9 to facilitate the swinging movements thereof to the positions illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

When the arm 9 is in its position of adjustment wherein the same is disposed outside of the window and in substantial parallel relation thereto, it is desirable to releasably retain said arm in such position. For this purpose, there is slidably mounted upon the upper portion of the arm 9 a detent 15 consisting of a small inverted U-shaped frame through which said upper portion extends. Said detent further includes a pin lli extending from one side of the detent so that the projecting end of the pin may be recessed within a socket I'l formed on the vertical portion l8 of the frame I!) adjacent its upper end. When so engaged, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, the arm 9 will be prevented from swinging about its pivot l2 and when it is desired to adjust the arm to the position of Fig. 2 it is only necessary to move the detent l5 outwardly along the arm 9 to disengage the pin. it when in the socket H.

The outer bent extremity of the arm 9 has connected thereto, by a link [9, a small pulley 20 around which extends the endless clothes line 2i. From said pulley the two strands of the clothes line extend inwardly toward the frame Ill and when the arm is in the position of Figs. 1 and 3, said clothes line adjacent the frame is engaged in a hook formed by a small extension 22 at the lower end of the vertical portion I8 of the frame, and said line is retained in said hook by a slidable pin 23. The line is so positioned and retained by said hook for the purpose of taking up slack in the line after the clothes have been suspended therefrom for drying.

When in the act of hanging clothes on the line, the latter may be first disengaged from the hook 22, after the window sash 6 has been raised, and when the detent I5 has been adjusted to releasing position, the arm 9 may be swung into the interior of the room as shown in Fig. 2 so that the then inner end of the clothes line will be disposed entirely within the room thus permitting a person to hang a garment on the inner end of the line without leaning through the window opening. After a garment has been thus suspended,

the lower portion of the line is moved outwardly through the window so that other garments may be progressively hung on the lower portion of the line as it is fed along the pulley. When the line has been filled, the same is again engaged in the hook 22 to take up the slack in the line, and the arm 9 is then swung outwardly to the position of Fig. 1, after which the detent I5 is again adjusted to its operative or latching position.

What is claimed is:

A clothes line support adapted for attachment to a window frame, comprising an angular bracket for receiving a vertical edge of said frame, means to secure said bracket to said frame, an open frame for said support including upper and lower horizontal portions extending from said bracket and a vertical portion connecting said horizontal portions, the latter portions having vertically aligned openings therein, a socket formed at the upper end of said vertical portion and a retaining hook at the lower end thereof, a hanger arm extending horizontally from said open frame and bent intermediate its ends to provide a pivot portion projecting through said vertically aligned openings to suspend said arm for horizontal swinging movements, a U-shaped detent slidably mounted on said arm for movement toward andaway from said open frame, a pin carried by said detent for engagement in said socket to lock said arm in a position wherein it extends across the opening of said window frame, a clothes-supporting line connected to the end of said arm remote from its pivot portion and. engageable in said retaining hook, and means to prevent disengagement of said line from said hook when said arm is locked.

THOMAS STEVEN WILBER. 

